


Someone New

by palateens



Category: South Park
Genre: F/F, M/M, Marjorine Stotch for the win, Multi, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, REALLY FUCKING GAY, Trans Female Character, a lot of these ships are in passing/mainly mentioned here for clarity, and self indulgence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 23:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9045011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palateens/pseuds/palateens
Summary: Token Black went to boarding school in California. Fast forward four years, he's attending CU Boulder and the last person he expects to run into, Marjorine Stotch, knows how to turn his world upside down (for the better).





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MarcoBodtsChickenNuggets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarcoBodtsChickenNuggets/gifts).



> Marcobodtschickennuggets and I were talking a few months ago about the most polyamorous scenario possible for this fandom. I wrote a lot of extensive notes about this universe but it took forever to figure out the story itself. So here it is! Enjoy

Marjorine Stotch scrambles up the stairs to her third-floor dorm room. Normally, she’d wait for the elevator like everyone else. But her heart was running a mile a minute and she was on a mission. She felt her chest heavy with something she surmised was the biggest news she’d received in a while. The white painted bricks of the hall way were outdated and looked more like her decrepit former elementary school. It wasn’t exactly home, but it made due for the time being. Almost every door on this floor is open.

Most often the tenants will move seamlessly from one room to the next without much care as to which room belongs to whom. The few non-South Park residents tended to keep to themselves, however. Marji passes a few, empty, rooms until she reaches one that has a decent crowd. Clyde, Kyle, and Craig are scattered around Craig’s black futon playing Smash while Wendy and Stan work quietly on Kyle’s bed. Craig and Kyle’s room is one of the tidier dorms, the most clutter coming from the sheer number of band posters on Craig’s side and books on Kyle’s.

“Hey guys,” Marji kisses Clyde on the cheek before sitting on one of the twin beds between Stan and Wendy.

“Hey Marji,” Stan throws an arm around her, squeezing her closer.

Marjorine is vibrating with excitement, without delay she blurts out, “you will never believe who I ran into on the way to stats!”

“Freddie Mercury,” Craig deadpans.

Marji rolls her eyes and continues, “Token.”

“Dude, really?” Stan gawks, Wendy pokes him in the temple with her pencil.

Token Black went to Thatcher, a top ten boarding school in California, for high school. His parents moved out west to be closer to him. It was a poorly kept secret that Blacks had contemplated leaving South Park for years, citing their son’s happiness as reason for staying. But one day, he asked about more competitive high schools and that was that. Few had heard from them since.

“I could’ve sworn he got into Harvard or Stanford or some shitty place like that,” Clyde mused, cursing as Craig’s jiggly puff swallowed his Donkey Kong.

“Where did you get that idea from?” Kyle tried, and failed, to make his tone sound less acerbic.

“We’re friends on Facebook,” Clyde stuck his tongue out.

“Fellas.” “Guys.” Marji and Wendy send warning glares to both. Despite how well everyone worked together, there were pairs that would always clash one way or another. Stan and Craig had a running bet that Kyle and Clyde would angry fuck at some point in college.

“Sorry,” they acquiesce. Kyle attempts to cover his blush by pulling down his hat. Clyde is distracted by Craig ruffling his hair roughly.

“So, what’s the plan, babe?” Stan nudges Marji to get her attention.

“What?” she stammers, blind sighted. “I guess I can’t get anything past you, Stan.”

“Nah,” he waves her off. “I just have this thing for dating smart people. You always have an angle.”

“That include me, Marsh?” Craig feigns disinterest.  

Stan chucks at pillow at him, earning him a yelp and a few insults.

Marji laughs at the exchange, “I invited him to coffee tomorrow.”

“Why?” Kyle gawks, “so he can stare at us like a science experiment?”

“Dude,” Stan frowns, “didn’t you have a huge crush on him in middle school?”

“That was years ago,” the redhead argues.

“I bet his ass is still perfect,” Clyde leers.

“Your Kong’s dead, doofus,” Craig informs him as he pulls Clyde in for a kiss. He sighs, turning towards the group on Kyle’s bed, “can we trust him?”

“He grew up with us,” Wendy reasons. “If anyone can get…us, it’ll be him.” She impulsively bites the tip of her eraser.

“Fine,” Craig relents. “Go on your stupid date. Find out he’s a total dick, better you than me.”

Craig had a way of cover up his intentions under layers of cynicism.  What he was really saying was ‘ _I don’t want to see you get hurt.’_

Marji catches his meaning easily and nods.  

Michael knocks on the door, “Stan c’mon, we’re gonna be late for that poetry slam.”

“Oh shit right,” he packs up his laptop and notebook into his messenger bag. “Where’s Pete?”

“Won’t stop playing Overwatch with Red and Kev.”  Michael huffs at the end for effect, but the grin on his face gives him away. Marjorine had stopped trying to figure those three out weeks ago.

“Wends, wanna come with?” Stan offers her a hand down from the raised bed.

“Can I do my chemistry homework while we’re there?” Wendy asks without looking up from her notes.

“Duh,” “Of course,” Michael and Stan respond.

“Ok,” she slips books into bag and slings it over her shoulder, hugs Marji before jumping off the bed, kisses Kyle on her way out.

“Be back before midnight!” Kyle shouts after them.

“Yes Kyle” Wendy and Stan giggle to each other as they follow Michael out.

Marji then remembers the other reason she had been in such a rush to get back today. “Hey has anyone seen Nichole or Bebe?”

“They’re helping Eric with his Chem homework,” Kyle informs her.

“Perfect,” Marji get up to hug Clyde, resting her chin on his shoulder. She addresses Craig “Stan’s waiting on you, y ’know?”

“Whatever,” Craig ruffles the top of her undercut to deflect the conversation.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Marjorine sighs. “That boy is as stubborn as they get. It’ll save you an awful lot of time if you just say something.”

Craig levels her a weary glare. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

* * *

 

Token had suggested a small coffee shop just off campus. It’s a small hole-in-the wall with tables taking up most of the square footage. The sound of coffee grinding, music playing, and milk steaming makes it harder for the random bystander to eavesdrop. It puts Marjorine at ease. She’s trying to suss out what kind of man Token Black grew up to be. So far, he’s fairly typical. Not as bland and predictable as she remembered him being. It’s a Wednesday in October. The flurry of project groups and interestingly dressed townies makes for good conversation. Soon enough, they’re swapping stories about their years apart. Marji decides to regale Token with a story from high school about how Craig ended up with four homecoming dates sophomore year.

“He asks Tweek with a cute sign and a pizza,” she sips her tea latte.  “I think it said ‘Wanna skip homecoming with me?’”

“Pfft, that sounds like Craig,” Token chuckles. “So how’d Clyde fit into that?”

“Well Tweek left for work and twenty minutes later, Clyde barges into Craig’s house,” she gestures emphatically.  “Now Craig was tryin’ clean up and he’s holding the sign right as Clyde opens the door to his bedroom.”

“And Clyde thought Craig was asking him?” He concludes before biting into a sandwich he bought from the sub place next door.

“Exactly,” Marji smiles easily.

Token hums through another bite. “Why didn’t Craig tell him then?”

“Because Clyde kissed him and ran out so fast to tell Bebe that Craig couldn’t get a word in,” Marjorine shrugs.

Token looks at her curiously, “why’d he go to Bebe?”

“They were exclusive at the time, Clyde wanted to talk to her about it,” Marji bites her lips, deliberating whether to say more. “He swears he told Craig ‘let me check with Bebe but fuck I’d love to’. Craig swears he said ‘cool bye’.”

“Ok that’s two dates,” Token holds up two fingers.

“Ken’s story is a little weird,” her mouth twists in distaste. “They made a bet in gym about who could do the javelin throw better. Prize was winner’s choice. Kenny wins and decides he’s gonna be Craig’s homecoming date. Craig tells him ‘I’ve already got two,’ and Kenny says ‘the more the merrier.’”

“So, what was weird about it?”

“No one remembers him winning” she takes another sip of her drink. “But we don’t remember him loosing, either. He showed up the next day shouting ‘pay up fucker.’”

Token laughs a little too loudly. “Who was his last homecoming date?”

“Stan,” the blonde puts on a cheerful grin for him.

“Really?” she hears the disbelief in his voice.

“Yep,” she says quietly, looking down at her uneaten blueberry muffin. “Wendy and Kyle were out of state for Model UN. David had walking pneumonia, and I wasn’t dating him at the time.”

Marjorine wrings her hands nervously before continuing. “He was having a real awful day. Kenny found him behind the bleachers after the game. Kenny and Tweek clung to him for most of the dance, which made life easier for Craig who got to dance with Clyde until Eric got jealous. Then Craig went looking for Tweek, who was with Stan of course.”

Marji pauses, brows furrowing in contemplation. “I don’t remember what Craig told Stan, but Stan swears that’s the moment he fell in love with him.”

“Well now that you mention it,” a voice says from behind them, Marji stiffens, not bothering to look as Kenny pulls up a seat next to her. “I believe he said ‘you’re too amazing to waste your tears on assholes’. And Stan said ‘I thought I was a weak pussy.’ And then Craig got all serious and close and said ‘whoever told you that is the dumbest idiot to ever exist’.”  Kenny looks at Marji’s muffin and frowns, “you hate fruit in bread.”

“You’re not as sneaky as you think you are, Mr. McCormick,” she slides the plate over to him.

Kenny grins blindingly at her, pecks her cheek “you take such good care of me.” Kisses her ear loudly, making her giggle profusely.

“Hush, you’re being rude,” Marji gestures to Token who’s trying to casually look away.

“Token, Tokester, Smoke the Toke,” Kenny laughs at his own bad nicknames and offers his hand to Token. “Good to see you back among the riff-raff, man. Hope Cali didn’t make you too soft.”

He snorts at Kenny’s jab. “It took my roommate most of freshman year to convince me that earthquakes were just that. No government cover-ups or South Park shit to deal with,”

Kenny fake yawns in reply, “Boulder isn’t crazy either. You’ll have to visit us in the boonies if you wanna see some real fun,”

“You’re doing it again,” Marji says knowingly.

“Sorry, what I mean is,” Kenny pauses, taking a deep breath. His face settles into something sincerer than Token can ever remember receiving from him. “We’re glad you’re back, man. South Park hasn’t been the same without you.”

“Thanks,” Token’s face softens. “I missed you guys too.” He carefully considers how Kenny’s protective arm drapes over Marji and thinks about how she’s been describing everyone. Against his better judgment, he speaks up. “So.”

“So?” Kenny looks at him with a gleam in his eye, challenging his next move.

“I just…I’m confused,” he admits.

“Which part, hun?” Marji pats Token’s hand sympathetically.

“Who’s dating whom…I was trying to keep track but it sounds like everyone dated each other at some point.”

“Oh Lord, no,” Marji’s face is horror struck. She addresses Kenny directly, “could you imagine Eric dating Tweek or Craig dating Michael?”

“Craig dating Michael isn’t as big of a stretch as Eric dating anyone he isn’t already dating,” Kenny volleys.

“Isn’t already dating?” Token thinks out loud. “Why does that sound vaguely plural?”

Kenny grunts, pulling out his phone. “I owe Clyde two bucks.”

“You need to stop making bets, that’s your loan money, sweetheart,” Marjorine reminds him sternly.

“What can I say? I’m a gambling man,” Kenny waggles his eyebrows. “Clyde always gives it back when he wins, anyway.”

“And when you win?” Marji purses her lips distastefully.

“I save it because the fucker’s dad just opened new franchises in Cherry Creek and Vail.”

“Ahem,” Token interrupts their banter. “Sorry, still confused.”

Kenny whispers something to Marji, gets up, salutes Token and leaves.

“I should go,” she shoots him an apologetic glance. “I’m gonna be late for class.” She makes quick work to dawn her peacoat and sling her bag onto her shoulder.

“Wait,” Token reaches out to grab her hand. “I don’t want to make things awkward and I like you. If something’s off limits, just let me know.”

Her jaw loosens a bit, “I can’t talk about it yet. Maybe once we get to know each other better.”

“Ok,” he stands up hesitantly. “Can I walk you to class?”

“Sure,” her smile returns, but not with the same enthusiasm as before. They’re outside of the shop when Marjorine attempts to rekindle the conversation. “So do you miss your friends at Thatcher?”

Token looks at her wearily.

“Here,” Marji offers her cell phone. “Put your number in.”

“Ok,” he types quickly.

“Sometimes it’s easier for me to say things in writing,” she explains.

“Alright,” he steps a little closer to her. When she doesn’t move away, his step has a little extra bounce in it. The rest of their five-minute walk is held in comfortable silence.

“This is me,” she stops in front of the armory.

“Cool,” Token mentally slaps himself for his awkward reply. “I’ll see you later?”

“Of course,” Marji squeezes his shoulder and walks off.

Token doesn’t walk away until after she’s in the building. He wonders if someone can permanently blush.

* * *

 

Marjorine: Maybe we should have a safe word

Token: For what?

Marjorine: For things we’re not ready to talk about

Marjorine: *yet

Token: Ok

Token: Like what?

Marjorine: What’s a food you hate?

Token: Carrot cake

Token: It tastes nasty

Marjorine: I agree. Ok, carrot cake it is.

* * *

 

Token: Do you ever rethink your purpose in life?

Marjorine: Constantly. What’s up?

Token: I really hate my marketing class

Marjorine: Drop it?

Token: I’d have to find another class to make up hours

Marjorine: Find something new.

Token: Idk

Marjorine: There’s a time and place for everything, and it’s called college. Remember that?

Token: So…it’s ok to say fuck it and find something new?

Marjorine: Exactly 

Token: Thanks, it sounds easier coming from you

* * *

Token: Did you give Clyde my number?

Marjorine: No

Marjorine: He stole my phone

Token: He did mention you were ‘a victim of a crime of passion.’

Marjorine: He really missed you.

Marjorine: He also should stop kidding himself about that business degree and go into theater.

Token: He’s a business major?

Marjorine: For now ;P

Marjorine: I’m surprised you have time to talk to me

Token: Why? We’re friends, right?

Marjorine: Oh yea, hun.

Marjorine: I’m just wondering how long it’s gonna take for Clyde to find your dorm room.

Token: …

Marjorine: ?

Token: Craig beat him to it

Marjorine: NO

Craig: Stop talking about me behind my back.

Craig: I stole Clyde’s phone. He’s on a date with Eric and Heidi.

Craig: Stop judging me.

* * *

 

Token spots Stan sitting against a tree one afternoon, strumming a guitar what sounds like Santa Monica by Everclear. It was sixty-nine out, which was warm for November but not too warm for Colorado. Token wouldn’t normally approach someone who _might_ be an old friend, but Stan was still wearing the same red puffball hat. Not many had the courage to wear such a…fashion statement.

He walks over to the kid playing and chances total embarrassment. “Stan?”

“Oh hey,” Stan gestures him closer. “Didn’t know when I’d see you, Token”

Token grips his backpack straps firmly. “Mind if I sit?”

Stan waves invitingly at the patch of half-dead grass to his right. “Heard you’re in an elective with Kyle.”

“Who told you that?” Token’s voice comes off extremely defensive.

 “Kyle, duh,” Stan rolls his eyes jokingly.

“Oh,” Token blanches, trying to recover some semblance of confidence. “Yea, I am. I needed another class to be considered a full-time student.”

Stan shrugs unassumingly, “modern dance was a good choice then.” He changes the tempo of the song up a bit before changing the song all together. “Amy Winehouse was a God-send,” he informs Token. As if that explained what song he was playing along with all of life’s mysteries.

“Marji talks about you a lot,” Token blurts out.

“She does? Aww,” Stan looks positively goofy and love-struck.  “She’s the best.”

“Yea, she is,” Token agrees without thinking. He decides to keep the trajectory of the conversation going. “She’s been telling me so many stories, it’s like I never left.”

“Well good.” He stops playing and lifts his head up. Stan cracks a smile, “it’s nice to have you around.”

“Thanks,” Token picks at a fallen leaf. A silence settles over them.

Token thinks about the number of tentative friendships he’s formed thus far in the semester. Most of them have been strained, polite enough, but difficult to get past the need to make conversation. With the people from South Park it’s been, almost the opposite. He supposes it’s because he grew up with them. But if he’s being rational, he can acknowledge that he barely knows who they are now. Maybe the ease of their conversations, and even silences, comes from a lack of judgement. Token doesn’t feel like he has to prove anything to them. He doesn’t have to be spectacular for them to pay attention to him. He just has to be.

“Are…are you guys….” He rambles with a sudden bout of courage.

“Together?” Stan supplies. “Yeah.”

“Oh” he doesn’t mean to sound so disappointed. He should’ve known better by the way Marjorine’s eyes lit up whenever she mentioned something Stan had done earlier that day. She was no doubt the world’s most supportive girlfriend.

“Oh?” Stan looks perplexed. He stops playing momentarily, a gasp falls from his lips, “she didn’t…tell you everything, did she?”

“What? Oh, no,” Token struggles to form a coherent sentence. “I, uh, I’m still confused.”

“That’s probably Kenny’s fault,” he tells Token.  “Look,” his song choice turns sharp but lively. His hands bear the strings aggressively.  “If you were anyone else, I’d tell you to fuck off and mind your own business. But you’re not.”

“Ok?” Token genuinely can’t tell if he’s about to get hit or hugged. Stan was easier to read when he was just another cynic.

“It didn’t happen all at once,” Stan sighs. He changes songs once more, this time it’s calm like molasses.  A gentle smile of nostalgia graces his lips. “People sort of…fell for each other at their own paces. Next thing I knew, I was a senior dating a bunch of people…who were dating each other and other people. We all have our own things going on, sure. But fuck, it’s nice to have people who just get you.”

“So you decided to stay together and go to the same college,” Token surmises easily.

“Not exactly,” Stan chuckles. “Wendy, Kyle and David were all Boettcher scholars. Kenny, Eric, and Heidi got need based scholarships. Everyone else got in and it made sense you know?”

Token frowns, leaning closer to Stan, “and you’re not all ‘together’ together?”

“God no,” his voice booms more than it should. “Clyde and I got shitfaced one time and hooked up. Ugh, it wasn’t much better when we were sober. We don’t mesh up that way.”

“I could never see you with Clyde,” Token’s nose crinkles, “or Kyle with Clyde for that matter.”

“Same,” Stan leans back further into the tree. “So everyone has their own place, right? No two relationships are the same. Like Nichole’s gray-romantic and she’s dating Wendy and Kyle. But she has this running thing with Heidi and Red where they just do shit and stay friends? It works for them.”

Stan continues explaining, Token hangs off his every word. “Mike was only around casually until about six months ago; he was mainly around because Pete’s his primary partner and polyamory sounded cool to him I guess.”

“Then what?”

“Honestly?” Stan’s voice drops lower, his face conspiratory.  “He’s got the world’s biggest crush on Kevin Stoley.”

“Seriously?” Token’s voice rises half an octave.

“Totally,” he smirks.  “But I’m also completely gone for Michael and we’ve been dating since June.”

“Wow,” Token sits back against the tree as well.

“Wow?” Stan keeps his tone neutral and light.

“Not a bad wow,” Token clarifies. “Just wow. I’ve missed a lot.”

Stan shrugs again. “No time like the present to catch up. Marji really likes you, you know?”

“Ok,” Token tries to make sense of all the information he’s been given. “So…I’ve got a shot with her?”

“Well yea, dude,” Stan snorts.  “And I thought I was oblivious.”

“Thanks,” he shoots up off the ground. He’s practically running away when he turns around to add “can you tell Kyle I said hi?”  

Stan smiles mischievously back at him, “you wish.”

 

* * *

 

Marjorine: Wanna hang out tonight?

Token: Can’t midterm at 7

Marjorine: After?

Token: Midterm tomorrow morning

Marjorine: L

Token: Tomorrow night?

Marjorine: Sounds great! I’ll text you my address.

* * *

 

When you have a network of couples as large as theirs, it helped to stay organized. As such, Friday afternoons were reserved for group meetings. Their forum was based off parliamentary procedure, and tended to work more often than not. Meetings were typically held in Wendy and Bebe’s double and most opted to stuff themselves on their twin xl beds or bring their own desk chairs. Suffice it to say things got cramped. This Friday in late November was no exception.

“Ok point four on this week’s agenda,” Wendy announces. “Expanding our premium streaming services to include Hulu. First speaker on this issue, Kyle. You have the floor, babe.”

“Thanks, Wends,” Kyle, in typical fashion, pulls out a few flashcards. He clears his throat and commences his argument. “We don’t need Hulu. We already have two Netflix accounts to accommodate for multiple streams, and a Funimation account. What can Hulu give us that we can’t already get? Why add another frivolous expense that we could be using for something more useful? That is all.”

Heidi nods to Wendy, signaling that Kyle’s statement has been dictated. “Thank you, Kyle. Next speaker is Eric.”

“Thank you, Wendy,” Eric half bows. “Might I say you love more beautiful than you did yesterday?”

“Objection,” Jimmy interrupts. “Flirting during new business.”

“I second that objection,” David adds.

“Third,” Pete looks up from his English paper.

“That’s one dollar in the savings fund, Eric,” Wendy hands a large jar to him. Reluctantly, Eric complies.

He grumbles, “may I proceed?”

“Granted,” Wendy knocks the gabble.

“I, shockingly, agree with Kyle.”

Kyle’s about to retort when David kisses him on the nose, taking away some of his rage.

“What incentive do we have to pay for Hulu?” Eric continues, “a few shows that we could catch on our free, yet shitty, dorm cable or watch later illegal streaming sites?”

“Objection,” Red stops coding. “Leading with a narrow frame. Permission to counter point?”

“I second that request,” Heidi states.

“Third,” Nicole says loudly into her bio textbook.  

“Granted,” Wendy rules.

“Our cable works fine,” Red sneers at Cartman. “We barely use it as is and when we do, it’s for bonding nights.” She types something into her web browser continuing her diatribe.  “The only shows we would gain from Hulu are original content like The Mindy Project, East Los High, and Difficult People. If anyone is dead set on getting a few shows, they should pay for the subscription themselves and share the login at their discretion.”

Bebe stands up from leaning against her desk, “request for rebuttal.”

“Second,” Stan chimes in.

“Third,” Tweek huffs.

Wendy gestures for Bebe to proceed.

“Sharing login information at ‘owner’s discretion’ is impossible. We all know that by the end of the day everyone will have their hands on that info and Hulu is more restrictive than Netflix on the number of users streaming. It’s a moot point to hypothesize a scenario where someone could keep their info private.”

“Are you suggesting we can’t be trusted?” Craig glares at her.

“No,” Bebe says curtly.  “I’m saying when 18 people are dating each other, privacy works differently.”

“Objection,” Eric “speaking out of turn.”

“Second,” Michael grumbles.  

“Third,” David adds.

“Fuck you, Cartman,” Bebe and Craig spit without missing a beat.

“Order,” Wendy brings down her gabble on the desk. “Heidi, put a note, we’re all going to talk about privacy and respecting others’ personal autonomy later.”

“Got it,” the brunette gives her a thumbs-up.

Wendy scans the room for potential motions. “Yes Kyle?” she leads him.

The redhead takes her lead, “I move to vote on this matter.”

“I second this motion,” Stan discretely slips his composition notebook into his bag.

“Third,” Kevin adds impatiently.

Rustling of bags begins and Wendy’s forced to regain their attention. “All in favor of adding Hulu?”

“Ay” Nicole, Eric and Jimmy call out.

“All opposed?” A chorus of nays ensue from the rest of the group.

“The nays have it,” she knocks her gabble. “Any interested parties can resubmit this topic at a later date.”

“Before we go,” Wendy raises her voice in warning. “Any other new business?”

“Actually,” Marjorine pipes up.

“Well there goes my night,” Eric chortles.

“Order, Eric,” Wendy yells. “Don’t make me tell you again.”

“Yes dear,” Eric groans.

Wendy ignores him. “Marji?”

“Well, um,” she stammers. “You see, I’ve been hanging out with Token for the last few weeks. And, uh, he’s been real swell so far.”

“Get to the point,” Michael says firmly, but it lacks harshness.

“I invited him over tonight,” Marjorine explains.

For a moment, the room is eerily still. The suddenly room erupts into chatter, though few gripes can be heard.

“Jesus, c’mon Clyde, let’s go bribe the RA to disappear,” Eric gets up.

“Hold on, wait a minute,” Wendy signals him to stop. “Marji, what do we need to vote on exactly?”

“Nothing, I guess,” realizing her error, Marji blushes. “I mean, I just wanted to make sure it’s ok with all of you.”

“I move to vote on Token coming over tonight,” Stan speaks up.

“I second that motion,” Clyde agrees.

“Third,” Kyle, not so surprisingly, contributes.

“All in favor?” Wendy asks.

The room floods with “Ayes”.  

“All opposed?” Not one nay is uttered this time.

“The Ayes have it,” Wendy announces. “Remember to make him feel comfortable, and don’t forget to communicate. He’s here conditionally but he deserves our respect.”

“Ok, meeting adjourned,” Stan takes the gabbles and knocks it on the wall. This earns him a sour look from Wendy. He meekly apologizes. Marjorine hears him tell Wendy and Kyle what a great job they did keeping everyone together and sane. It makes her smile how he never takes anyone for granted. He mentions something to Michael about sleeping with him and Pete tonight. Michael nods, leaving promptly afterward. He whispers something to David who nods and makes his exit. The smirk on his face when he turns to her says he has something planned.

Stan wraps an arm around Marji’s waist, drawing her in close. “So scale of 1-10, how much do you want to blow him away?”

“Honestly?” Marji chuckles a little nervously, “nine.”

Stan whistles, “my closet or yours?”

“Yours,” she decides. Stan’s wardrobe was mainly dresses and the occasional jersey for cold days.

“Sweet,” he leads her back to his room. “It’s yours tonight. If you want it, that is.”

“Really?”

Stan shrugs, “Wendy has Bebe, Eric, and Nichole. Kyle has me, Wendy, David, Bebe and Jimmy. David has us, Kyle and Jimmy. Kenny has Tweek and Craig and you.”

She stares at him blankly. “What’s your point?”

“It’s not like you saw him first,” he scrubs his face with his right hand. “I mean, you did, but…Marji, you like him. If anyone’s gonna bring him into the fold, it should be you. You deserve a chance with him before we overload him with all of this.” Stan gestures all around them.

They enter his and Kenny’s room. While the shelves are littered with memorabilia and random trinkets, the ground is relatively clean. It’s a step up from the biohazard it’s been for most of the semester.

Marji takes a deep breath, wrapping her arms around Stan’s neck. “So, what you’re saying is if he just wanted to be with me…”

“That’s ok,” Stan assures her. “Not everyone’s going to sign onto a hoard of significant others.”

Marji is about to agree when something snaps in her. She shakes her head, “I want nothing to do with those people. I’m only interested in whoever’s gonna love my family as much as I do.”

“God, I love you so much,” Stan kisses her forehead.  

“Oh hush,” she swats him playfully. “Now let’s get me pretty.”

Stan turns her around to face his full-length mirror, “looks to me like we’re already done.”

xXx

Token had an inkling that him coming over was a big deal. It wasn’t until he was surrounded by his best friends, feeling completely at ease, that he considered that it was a bigger deal to him than it was to them. They still welcomed him with open arms (at least Clyde did).

“Good to see you Token,” Jimmy offers him an awkward sideways hug

“Fuck, it’s really you,” Tweek takes a deep inhale into Craig’s shirt before tugging Token into a tight hug.

Clyde is practically crying when he regains hold of Token, “I thought we’d lost you forever.” He’s staining Token’s dress shirt.

“What?” Token mock gasps. “You thought I was going to forget you?”

“Your new phone number got ‘lost in the mail,’” Craig crosses his arms indignantly. “Sue us.”

“Yea, I uh,” Token averts his gaze. “The thing is,” his voice drops off, mouth failing to mold sentences together.

“Why don’t I show you around?” Marji offers as a distraction.

Token gratefully agrees, following her out of Tweek and Clyde’s room.  “So, all of you live here?”

“Uh huh,” Marjorine nods empathetically.  “It normally doesn’t work like that but…”

“Carrot cake?” Token offers.

“Oh no, sweetie,” she smiles sadly. “I just can’t imagine what borderline illegal thing Kenny, Craig, Eric and Clyde did to pull this all off.”  

“That was a really strange sentence,” he admits.

“What can I say?” Marji shrugs nonchalantly. “Things have a funny way of working out.”

“I guess,” Token’s attention is flickering between her and the crowded hall of familiar faces waving hello.  “So how do I know who’s dating and who isn’t?” he asks quietly.

“You’ll pick up quickly.” She stopes to clarify, “but don’t go asking everyone if they’re dating. Got it?”

“Yep,”

The rest of the evening flows with ease. They move from one room to the next, not particularly worried about what anyone thought of them hanging out. Marji thought about what drew her to Token in the first place. Even before she realized who he was, there was an uncanniness to the way he carried himself. Like he was trying to remember who he was and where he belonged. Getting to know Token, this older version of him, was surreal. It felt like a haze of piecing together crumbs of some obsolete ideal, only to slowly replace the pieces with things that were real. Like how he couldn’t eat corndogs anymore after an eating contest his junior year; or the way his breath hitched when he was laughing to cover up his nervousness. Figuring out what his real smile looked like was a personal victory for her.

They were barely paying attention to some bad comedy in Stan’s bed around midnight. They take turns guessing the next line or general plot points. Marji makes some lude comment about vacuums that sends Token into a fit of laughter.

“You’re really funny,” he tells her when he can breathe again.

“Oh hush,” she rolls her eyes.

“No I mean it,” his fingers ghost over her shoulder. “And smart and pretty and…” He pauses, taking a deep breath. “I wasn’t sure what to expect from coming here. But I like it.”

She involuntarily flinches at his statement. “What is ‘it’?” She asks carefully.

“All of it,” his voice is barely above a whisper. He doesn’t meet her gaze, instead he reaches for her hand, squeezing it reassuringly, “all of you. It feels like my life’s come full circle.”  

“I’m glad we could enlighten you in some way, Harvard man,” she teases.

Token’s face falls.  

“I’m sorry,” Marji says sincerely. “Clyde mentioned something about you getting into Harvard and it keeps stumping me. Why would you come back here of all places? You acted like you hated living in South Park.”

“Maybe I just hated the idea of ending up alone in a small town,” he reasons.

“You never know what could’ve been,” she sighs somberly. “Don’t waste your time theorizing.”

For a minute, they’re staring at each other hesitantly. Unsure of how to recover from the tension.

“You’re right,” Token admits. “I got into Harvard.”

He takes a long swig of the beer Craig gave him earlier. “I graduated a year early from high school, went to one of the best schools in the world and I….”

“Carrot cake?”

“No,” Token’s determination apparent on his face. “I want you to know this. I was diagnosed with high-function depression.”

Marji bites her lip. “Is that why you dropped out?”  She dares to ask.

Token smirks faintly. “Is it that obvious?”

“There’s shame written all over your face,” she explains. “As if a measly diploma is worth as much as your wellbeing.”   

“Would’ve made up for the three years of subtle homophobes and racists that went to my school,” he snorts.

A spike of range shoots through her on his behalf. “Why didn’t you come back? We cared about you.”

“By the time I realized I wanted to go back, it was easier to finish the semester and start over,” Token scratches the label off his beer bottle. “And then I should’ve taken time off and gone back to Harvard. It just…felt wrong. It felt like I was doing something for someone else’s sake instead of my own.”

“I’m glad your back,” Marji knocks their knees together lightly. “Really.”

“Yea?” he perks up a bit, eyes glinting with something like hope.

“You’re nicer than I remember,” she confides.

“You’re braver than I remember,” his

“More handsome.”

“Beautiful.”

“The more I spend time with you…I, it feels…”

“Like coming home?” He finishes for her.

Marji gasps, then smiles softly. “Exactly,”

He leans in, laughing. “At the cost of pissing off your three boyfriends and basically everyone I grew up with; I’d like to kiss you now, if that’s ok.

“Yea, it’s ok,” she meets him halfway.

It’s soft, unassuming. The kiss last a full two seconds, it’s just a brush of one against the other. But the second one is deeper, longer. It’s like floating and falling. Apprehension melted away, easing every nerve she had since she met him again. Like a forgotten song that thrusts someone into a different time, it reminded her of how she felt when she realized she wanted to be with Kenny, David and Stan. Not like fate, but more like remembering something about being young and happy. Sure, no relationship was easy. But each was precious, unique, and worth every smile and tear they caused.

Marji had been thinking for some time that there was someone missing. At first, she thought she simply missed the sensation of falling into like. But crushes and commitment were two different concepts. She knew she was looking for something new, yet long-lasting. Marji was starting to think that they’d been waiting for Token all this time. She thought of how patient and empathetic he could be. How he took the time to learn and understand what he didn’t get right away. How he never assumed anything or judged them when he finally pieced it all together.  He was a good friend, and for Marjorine, that was the most important thing. Dates come and go, but the bonds the South Park kids had made were thicker than blood.

“Can I ask you out on a date?” he interrupts her musings.

“You sure can.” She giggles, “but I think that’s what this is supposed to be.”

“True,” Token hums in contemplation.  “Maybe we could…I could…I’d like to date you. Like really date you. If that’s ok “

“What about the others?” Shed had to ask.

“Do I have to ask all of them out?” He quirked a brow, clearly teasing.

Marji laughs. “No I mean, are you ok with being part of…us,” she waves around the four walls as if to include everyone, “to some extent?”

“Hey, you can’t get rid of me that easily,” he assures her. “I’m from South Park, remember? We’re used to weird stuff.”

They both laugh. Marji leans into kiss him again.

“Real talk,” he asks once they break away “Is Kyle interested in me?”

“You can ask him yourself tomorrow,” she winks blissfully.

For the first time in years, Token doesn’t kid himself.  “Yea, I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feliz Navidad Guera! (I really like this universe. Whenever I make the sequel, it'll be called From Eden which is another Hozier song that I felt really captured Totters in this fic.)


End file.
